The Betrothal
by Sancti Diem
Summary: So this is my first story, something I wrote in between classes and tweaked a little recently. It centers around Soah, a girl who lives among the Fire Nation nobility and how she came to be betrothed to Zhao. (I make summaries more boring than knots on a log, but I can almost guarantee that the story is better.) Now rated M to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

So this is my first story, something I wrote in between classes and tweaked a little recently. It centers around Soah, a girl who lives among the Fire Nation nobility and how she came to be betrothed to Zhao.

I appreciate constructive criticism, this isn't the best piece in the world and could use some work. If readers like and enjoy it, I may write more. All I ask is that whoever reads offers at least one little bit of constructive criticism. Reviews are wonderful and welcome. Maybe if my audience likes the idea, more will be written based off of your writing suggestions.

* * *

Zinnia and Sato had only one child, they named her Soah for her mother thought she was the most beautiful creature in her life. Being an ancient noble family, Soah was watched carefully so she would not embarrass her father and disgrace him. Sato spent most of his time at the Fire Nation Palace, serving the Fire Lord directly.

When Soah turned five, she revealed to her mother that she could fire bend, most women in the Fire Nation had much more freedom, mainly due to the war and the shifting need for a police force on the home front…Sato however, being a traditionalist, would not allow his daughter to openly fire bend. Instead, he hired a private tutor to teach her control and basics. And that was that.

Sato's family lived very comfortably. They possessed a large compound near the capitol city, with over 100 different rooms, and over fifty servants, Sato's family was well off. Aside from the main house, there were servants' quarters, extensive gardens and two courtyards. For awhile the compound was all Soah knew, but she was allowed out with her mother to shop on occasion.

Zinnia protected Soah as she got older, Sato's designs that she should marry immediately after coming of age were disrupted. Zinnia would not allow Sato to ruin her child's happiness. Sato allowed this, his wife had always obeyed him and he always looked on the bright side of things. The older Soah was, he hoped the more mature she would be in marriage. But the fear that his child would be too old still lingered. Most men in the Fire Nation's army liked younger girls instead of the older ones. It was this fear that drove Sato to Shelter Soah from most things. Ultimately though, she became a proper noble lady. She knew how to serve tea to the few guests she received, she knew how to embroider, sew and manage a household. Her role as a traditional lady was fulfilled.

But when she turned eighteen, she met her best friend Sanzi.

Sanzi became Soah's link to learning more fire bending, and to the outside world. With Sanzi as her friend, Soah had access to books and texts that her father or mother wouldn't have given her. She became a very intelligent lady. But as Soah and Sanzi grew closer together, there was a new bond, a mutual fondness and liking between the too of them.

Sanzi was the illegitimate child of a nobleman her father, General Hooey he was called, knew, but since his own wife was barren, he claimed Sanzi as his own. It was quite a scandal, but it was soon forgotten when the Fire Lord banished his own, legitimate son, Prince Zuko. It was then acceptable to introduce Sanzi to Soah. Sato's old nose wrinkled at the thought of the two together, Sanzi was a bastard, illegitimate. Soah was pure, a noble through and through, the mere thought of that boy polluting the bloodline was…infuriating. Fortunately for Sato, Sanzi's father did not present him publicly, so the boy could not go to any parties and it just so happened that the Fire Lord was hosting one in honor of his second child, Princess Azula.

Soah did not care much for parties, just based on what she had heard about them and the very few she had been to. But as the daughter of a nobleman she had to endure it. She and her mother had dressed to match almost, with the exception that her mother wore plain, dull reds and blacks while she was dressed in vibrant scarlet and gold. The two stood side by side so others could compare, Zinnia, who had the understated brilliance of a pearl beside her daughter who at that moment was as radiant as the sun. Sato almost beamed with pride, his wife and child were ladies of fashion and beautiful and many people were talking, asking exactly who Soah was. "Surely," They said, "Surely, she is Lady Zinnia's daughter?" High ranking officers in the army and navy noticed her, and high ranking noblemen recommended her to their sons just based on who her family was. The highlight of Sato's night was when the Fire Lord himself had told him that his daughter was beautiful and regal, as fit a noble lady.

Soah herself was enjoying herself by her mother's side, it wasn't until she noticed a man looking at her that she actually became nervous. He wasn't very tall, not much taller than her own father, but he had a very commanding presence. There was a cold and calculating cruelty in his eyes, he was dressed in a soldier's uniform, but she could not tell exactly what branch this man was in. She noticed that he was a great deal older than she was. "Mother..." She whispered. Zinnia arched an eyebrow at her daughter, at first out of annoyance for interrupting another noble woman she was listening to, but then curiosity soon replaced it.

"What is it daughter?" She addressed her aloud to let the women who gathered around them know that the previous conversation was over.

"That man, the older one staring at me…no, not him," Zinnia had already begun to scan the area and had settled on an arrogant younger man who had also watched Soah through out the evening. "That one, over there by those generals." The other ladies gathers also looked with astonishment.

"Why my dear," started the wife of a governor, "That is Captain Zhao. There is a rumor that he will soon be a Commander. The Fire Lord himself has taken a great interest in his career and is recommending Zhao's promotion himself." She stopped to look at Zhao for herself and added, "You should be very honored that he has taken an interest in you." Despite his reputation as being very cold and cruel, he was still a fire bending master, and his influence wasn't to be taken lightly. People respected Zhao, he had rose to greatness in such a short amount of time.

"I.." Soah began, she wasn't sure of what to say.

"How is your child Mai coming along? Any interesting marriage propositions for her yet?" Zinnia decided that the time was right to change the subject from Soah to anything else.

"No, not yet. She isn't a pretty as Soah, but not as old either. But we have hope that maybe one day she'll be happy with some one." Zinnia nodded and placed a protective hand on Soah's shoulder. She did not like the fact that somebody like Captain Zhao had noticed Soah, and she herself was very doubtful that she could stop Sato from arranging a marriage between the two if he knew.

When the family returned home, Soah waiting until all in the house were asleep before going into the garden to meet with Sanzi. The two had been thick as thieves ever since they met and aside from being her sole confidant.

Sanzi was there, waiting as usual. The two made their way deeper into the garden and away from the house so they could bend without drawing attention to themselves.

"How was the party?" Sanzi had been accepted as his father's heir, but he was still socially barred from things like parties.

"Boring. All we did was stand there and talk to my mother's friends."

"Sounds thrilling. I take it your father just filtered about, did some political positioning?"

"You know him too well." Soah smiled as they took the first form in their warm ups.

"Meet any cute boys?" Sanzi teased her relentlessly about that.

"Not unless you count an ugly old man as cute."

"Who was it?"

"They called him Zhao."

Sanzi's concentration was broken for a moment and the form was disrupted. "Zhao? As in Captain Zhao of the Fire Nation Navy?"

"Sounds familiar…" Soah grumbled, annoyed that their practice had stopped because of this Zhao. "Something wrong?"

"No…he's just a bad person. Come on, we're going to run out of night if we keep yapping."

After that, their fire bending practice was more quiet and brutal than usual. Which was just fine with Soah, she needed to vent her frustration anyway. The next day went without incident with that nights practice just as brutal.

Two mornings after the party, Sato found out that Zhao had taken an interest in his daughter. But not from his wife, who had guarded that secret, but from their unannounced visitor that afternoon. Soah had been out until dawn fire bending, so she had come in exhausted, after changing from her bending clothes into her sleeping robe, she had crashed on the divan in her room. She never suspected that her mother would actually be waking her up.

"Soah." She said sternly, shaking her daughter. "Soah, you must get up. Now. And be quick." Soah awoke to her mother's almost frantic voice.

"Mother," she choked out, "I'm not feeling well." Soah voice had been soft and scraggly, the result of practicing simple breaths of fire. She also had a slight fever from being out in the morning dew.

Zinnia placed a cool hand on her daughter's hot forehead. She was almost thankful that Soah was under the weather, perhaps since she could not get out of bed, Zhao would be disappointed and leave. But the realistic part of Zinnia knew that would not be the case. Zhao would play it off like young women get ill all the time and calculate a way into Sato's good graces. Sato on the other hand would blame Soah for being ill. Sato was nothing Zinnia couldn't handle, it would be serving tea to Zhao and explaining that Soah was ill to his cruel face that may just unnerve her. She could not think of such things right now though.

"Shall I order the servants to run you a warm bath dear?" Zinnia asked tenderly.

Soah nodded and asked for a cool drink too.

"I'm sorry Commander. But our dear Soah is ailing." Zinnia said mournfully as she poured Zhao tea. The man had come here to announce two things, his interest in their daughter, and his promotion to Commander. "I do hope you may be able to stay for supper though sir…even though Soah may not be able to leave her chambers."

"I'd be delighted to stay for supper, your home is very lovely, and it isn't often an officer gets a home cooked meal." He said before taking a sip, fully knowing that Zinnia had never personally cooked anything in her life and that he had such cooking almost daily.

Sato however, was not convinced of Soah's illness. "I'm sure we could rouse her long enough to become presentable commander. I do apologize that she isn't apparently well. And we thank you for contributing more guards to look after the compound Commander."

"It is quite alright, I like to perform extra services for the Fire Nation." He looked at Zinnia with a knowing look, he had seen the way she had stared him down nights ago, and placed her hand on Soah's shoulder. "What exactly is ailing her?"

"Sore throat, and a fever. Poor child."

"On second thought Sato, I would like to see if you can rouse her for a short while." There was a silkiness to his voice that Zinnia did not like. "And if you have some ginger tea, and perhaps some miso soup, we shall take it after lunch." Sato bowed, and Zinnia eyed Zhao gravely, she did not like the way he showed his authority in her house, she did not like the smile he was giving her at that moment. "Now, I saw some lovely gardens just outside of one of your parlors coming in, will you should me around them?"

Sato bowed ounce more and stood up. "This way Commander Zhao. The fire lilies are in full bloom right now." Zhao stood and bowed to Zinnia who stiffly bowed in return.

Soah had just gotten out of the bath that her mother had drawn for her. Her voice still sounded too soft to hear, but her fever had gone down. Zinnia was almost disappointed when she placed her hand on Soah's forehead a second time and found that her child was normal.

"You will dress in your day robes. Since you are ill we will not bother with anything more." Zinnia was ordering the servants around Soah to retrieve the clothing and do her hair. "See if you can bend your temperature, you need to look sick my child." Soah had no trouble there, the skin under her eyes was slightly dark and puffy from where she had been awake until dawn, and her scorched throat from breathing fire gave her to needed sick voice. Zinnia didn't trust that Zhao wouldn't feel Soah's forehead to make sure he wasn't being duped, or just to spite her.

Soah's hair was half up, half down. A jade comb held the top up into a beautifully arranged loose bun, while the half that was down was pulled over her should in a recent style called "mermaid." The servants had brought out the day robes, and Soah picked a simple white outfit, made out of a warmer material and trimmed in black and gold.

After she was presentable, Zinnia lead Soah to one of the parlors that faced the gardens, the servants had opened the doors and the scent of flowers filled the room. Sunlight poured in and bathed the room in golden rays. A soft breeze played with the white drapes that hung from the high ceiling. Soah arranged herself in front of a small table on a plush cushion. The room itself was filled with such cushions and a few low divans. It was a very intimate room, and the fact that Zhao had noticed it and picked it made Zinnia uneasy.

The servants were serving Soah the Zhao suggested miso soup when the two noblewomen heard voices in the garden.

"Within three years' time, the Fire Lord will have control of the Earth Kingdom." Zhao boasted.

"This is good news indeed Commander, a glorious victory for our nation." Mother and daughter rolled their eyes at Sato's positioning. Soah had begun to stir the soup before her when her father and Commander Zhao stepped through the garden doors. Soah looked up at Zhao, since she was facing the garden, she had no excuse to look away and ignore him. She made a respectful bow before returning to her soup stirring.

"Commander Zhao, our daughter Soah. Forgive her appearance, her mother was right when she informed us that she was ill." Sato said. "My wife and I will leave you two to get better acquainted." At hearing these words, both Zinnia's and Soah's eyes widened. This was not proper, to leave her hear unchaperoned with this man she had never met. Zinnia cast her husband a hateful glare, but reluctantly stood and went with her husband into the garden. The servants took their cue and brought the tea service in to Zhao. None of the servants fully took their leave, as Soah noticed. Most had stayed to open the remaining windows, some had taken positions just outside the doors. This fact comforted Soah.

"I know this is odd." Zhao said as he poured Soah a cup of ginger tea. "But I heard you were sick, and I wanted to…eh, make sure you were feeling better." He placed the cup in front of her gently. Soah looked at him, Sanzi had claimed this man was a bad person, and her own mother disliked him to an almost disrespectful extent. She did not believe that he just wanted to see if she was better.

"Commander Zhao is most kind." She said softly, he voice almost inaudible, before she took a sip of the tea.

"Quite a cold you have." He stated frankly. Soah looked up to see his eyes locked with hers. She felt like he knew exactly why he voice sounded like this, she half expected him to start out 'I remember one time, I had a cold like yours. I could not speak for days…but then again, it wasn't a cold…was it?'

"Yes sir…it is. I feel…better though. My throat just hurts a lot." He arched an eyebrow. "But the soup is helping it, as is the tea." His eyes narrowed but he said nothing as he watched her take another sip. 'You're just being paranoid Soah, he couldn't know that you fire bend.'

The two sat silently for a few moments, Zhao was about to say something when Soah heard her father say, "Sanzi! Not today!" Soah looked out in the garden to see Sanzi coming up the path and her father coming up the path trying to stop him.

A small giggle escaped Soah's throat, but a glare from Zhao made her heart sink into her stomach. He stood and put himself between Soah and Sanzi.

"Well, General Hooey's bastard, Sanzi…is it?"

"Commander Zhao." He replied, bowing stiffly.

"Commander, I am so sorry for this. This boy just thinks he can waltz over here anytime at all and see Soah."

"It's quite all right." He said gruffly. "But Soah is tired and weak. Quite frankly, she is about to go back to her chambers and rest before supper." Zhao stated. Soah looked to her father who nodded and told Sanzi to go home. Zinnia looked miserable.

"Come child. I'll assist you." Zinnia said walking past Zhao and laying a hand in Soah's arm.

"Thank you mother." Soah cast one last look at a defeated Sanzi, but all she saw was Zhao's indifferent scowl.

When they returned to Soah's chambers, Zinnia dismissed the servants and undid Soah's hair herself.

"Mother…are you alright?"

"No." Soah heard her sigh. "I might as well tell you know dear. Zhao is going to ask your father if he can marry you."

"But…he's an old man."

"He is. He's old enough to be your father. But I rather you hear it from me than your own father." Soah turned around.

"Sanzi…"

"Sanzi is a bastard Soah, your father will never let you marry him."

"But the courtship period…"

"That has already begun as of two nights ago when Zhao saw you, as far as your father is concerned."

"But…" Soah could feel her life end, and that man becoming her future. She felt trapped.

"There is nothing I can do…" Zinnia sighed. She had argued profusely with her husband, but he was firm in this. And as a traditional noblewoman, she had to obey him. "Your father has commanded that you attend dinner, you are to dress your best and…" Soah watched her mother's shoulders sink. "…you are to sit beside him and try to socialize with him. Just agree with everything he says and make him feel special. You…you shouldn't think of Sanzi, or welcome his attentions here." Zinnia knew her daughter's fondness for the boy, but she also knew his status. The poor child would never formally be received by the society that she and her daughter, and now Zhao, belonged to.

At dinner that evening, Sato chatted mercilessly, proud that finally, after four years of being of age, his daughter would be soon married. Zhao sat beside Soah, as if he already had married her, there was an air of possessiveness that surrounded him and scared her. Soah was barely paying attention to her dinner, her mind was trying to wrap itself around the fact that she would marry Zhao. That she would have to stop being around Sanzi. While he hadn't directly done anything terrible to her directly, he was beginning to be a block between her and her friend, and that was reason enough to be somewhat resentful.

During dinner, her father had opened his house to Zhao to stay the night as a guest before he left the following morning. Soah waited anxiously for the lights across the courtyard to go out, around one in the morning, they did. She eagerly slid out into the gardens to meet Sanzi. He waited patiently in the usual spot, and then they set off a ways from the house. Instead of fire bending, they simply sat and talked.

"My mother says I should not see you anymore…that means she probably knows about our bending practices." Soah said sourly.

"You're seeing me now aren't you? By the way, how is your throat?"

"Still sore."

"It gets better with time, the next time you pull out a breath of fire it won't hurt so much later."

"I sure hope not." A small snap towards the house startled them, and they waited a moment before they resumed talking.

"Commander Zhao was here today." Sanzi stated dryly.

"Mother says he will ask to marry me…"

"He's old enough to be your father."

"I'm aware of that." Soah thought back to the conversation with her mother after having tea with Zhao, and then to Sanzi's interruption. "You heard he was in the neighborhood."

"He is a cruel man. I heard a rumor from my father that he smiled when the Fire Lord burned his son and banished him. That he almost danced with glee…you should that he's very…"

"Possessive…" Soah whispered. "He stayed for dinner this evening. He sat there beside me like a proud peacock."

"I wasn't going to say that, but you have the general idea."

"Yeah."

"Are you going to marry him?"

"Do I have a choice…?"

"You always have a choice. You're a capable fire bender, you are intelligent and beautiful and full of life…" Sanzi stopped himself. "You'd be miserable and die if you married Zhao. And you're…you're special to me."

"Sanzi."

"Yes Soah?"

"You're my best friend, thank you."

"Why don't we practice for a bit instead of jawing away?"

"Yeah, let's do that."

The two stood up and took up the first form.

Zhao left the next morning after private tea with Soah. No mention of Sanzi's interruption from the day before was made. But Zhao did make a reference to seeing flashes of light, almost fiery light, in the gardens.

"Did you see them, Soah?" Zhao asked slyly.

"No, I must have been asleep." She stole a short glance at Zhao while taking a sip of Jasmine tea. "Perhaps you were just seeing things."

Zhao calmly sat his tea cup down. "You think I was just seeing things?" There was a cool edge underneath his question. She looked up at his face, his features were stony, calm, but there was a storm brewing in his eyes.

"Prehaps…"

Zhao threw his tea cup against the parlor wall. They were in the same garden parlor as yesterday. Soah looked at the tea and the broken china, Jasmine tea wasn't easy to come by sometimes. She didn't have time to contemplate what her parents would think, a rough hand cupped her chin as Zhao forced her to look at him.

"Soah. Was I seeing things?"

"N-no…No." She tried to move her head away from him, but he held on tightly.

"I didn't think so." Zhao held on a short while longer before letting go. He motioned to a servant to bring him another cup and looked at Soah to pour his tea. She took a deep breath and shakily poured his tea. Zhao watched her steadily before picking his new cup up. "I will return two weeks from now." He merely said before taking a drink. "If you behave, I might bring you a gift." He smiled before getting up. He stopped beside her and knelt down to where he was eye level. "Try not to go outside at night anymore, I don't want you seeing him." Zhao kissed her temple. "And I'll know…I'll know if you do." He smirked and stood up once more. "If I were you, I wouldn't want something terrible to happen to him."

It had been three days since the incident in the parlor. Sato was furious that Soah had angered Zhao. Zhao however, had told Sato that Soah merely made a foolish remark. "A mistake of youth" was how he phrased it. Zhao had covered up for her going to practice fire bending at night, she did not know why, but she would sure she would find out soon.

"Luckily for you, he is still charmed by you, and promises to bring you gifts." Sato looked up from a letter from Zhao. "You turn twenty in two days, he writes that he will possibly surprise you and show up at your birthday party…where I will also announce your betrothal." There is was, 'betrothal' the word that may seal her fate. Soah's mouth was dry and she could not find words to make her disappointment known. "I take you silence as a sign of timidity. Commander Zhao likes that about you. It is your youth and innocence he enjoys, be sure to do everything you can to remain so."

"Yes father." Zinnia looked up from Sato's side, she sensed defeat in her daughter's voice.

Later that night, she went out to the gardens to wait and see if Sanzi had come by. He did.

"At my birthday, they will announce the betrothal." Soah sounded defeated. She had told Sanzi about what Zhao did in the parlor the night after the practiced, his awareness that she was fire bending with him and his threat to Sanzi.

"I won't let him do that to you." Sanzi whispered. "We could…no, we couldn't."

"Could what?" Soah asked, curious.

"Well, I was thinking that maybe we could go to the Earth Kingdom, give up bending, out allegiances, start new. I mean, you're twenty, I'm twenty-one. We could make it work. Maybe hide out somewhere so until this war ends."

Soah thought about it and laughed. "It would prevent me from marrying Zhao."

The two shared a smile and their hands touched.

"Maybe we could." Soah whispered.

"It would be nice." Sanzi kissed her cheek.

Soah was brushing her hair before she went to bed that evening when her mother brought her a letter from Zhao. "The soldier who brought it specifically said only you may read it. And he also brought this." She motioned to a servant who brought forth a lacquered box, with gold engravings on it.

"What is in it?" Soah asked curiously.

"A set of golden combs and pins for your hair, several matching bracelets, rings and a jade pendant hung from a lovers knot. I believe that one is to be worn around the waist."

"Mother…"

"The pendant is a sort of betrothal symbol."

"Am I supposed to wear all of this?" Soah had never seen so much gold before.

"Read your letter and find out." Zinnia said as a matter of fact.

Soah didn't read the letter, and avoided her father's prying questions about it. He took it as a secret between two loves. "Do you remember our first secret?" He asked Zinnia coyly. Zinnia nodded and smiled, there was a time once before when they were actually in love, but it was after the two had been betrothed and married for two years.

Soah hadn't seen Sanzi since the night before last. Soah wouldn't have a chance to see if Sanzi was in the garden, the next day would be Soah's birthday. Shortly after Sato's teasing, a servant came to announce Zhao's arrival. Knowing that Zhao would request to see her, Soah went to her chambers to read the letter. It did not say anything but "Do try to stay inside at night." How could Zhao possibly know these things?

Soah went into the gardens to look at the fire lilies while Sato welcomed Zhao, part of her secretly hoped Sanzi would dare to be in the gardens today, but she knew that he would not. He knew Zhao was coming and as she told him, he knew that coming to see her would be suicide almost. But she still hoped that maybe…

"Soah?" She knew it was Zhao, either addressing or looking for her, maybe both. His voice had begun to frighten her almost, not just his spat in the parlor but his gifts of gold trinkets. Soah began to half think that she would become a vehicle in which Zhao would display his growing power. But still, it was better not to anger him so quickly.

"Over here Commander, by the Fire Lilies." She almost instantly regretted responding to him as he came forth.

"Happy Birthday, Soah." He breathed into her ear.

"My birthday is tomorrow Commander." Soah smiled sweetly, drawing on any charm she had to keep him from manhandling her in any way. "I received your gifts and letter, and I've been very good since."

"Good. I'm pleased with that. No more of those little night time forays?"

"None since I've received your gifts."

Zhao nodded, "I thought you'd enjoy those. I'd like for you to wear some tomorrow too. And at our wedding."

"That would be lovely…" Soah said without thinking. Zhao looked at her in a puzzled way. "Yes…would you like some tea, Commander?" Soah heard the words come out of her mouth before she could think about it. Now she had to endure his presence longer than desired.

"You're very amiable today." Zhao smiled. "Yes. I would like some."

This tea time, Zinnia and Sato were present as well, Sato to monitor how Zhao and Soah interacted and Zinnia to provide her daughter with moral support.

"I'll be assigned to a harbor in the southwestern Earth Kingdom for a while. When I receive my first leave from there, we'll marry." Zhao informed Soah primarily, but said it out loud for the benefit of Sato. "The entire harbor will be under my sole command. My services there may soon gain me the position of Admiral."

Soah could tell that Zhao was boasting. There was a difference between the positioning that her father did and the boasting Zhao does. Zhao was commanding and conceited, her father just wanted to maintain power, Zhao wanted to obtain it. The only similarities between the two were that they were driven to achieve goals.

"Do you see an end to the war?" Zinnia asked.

"Not for another two or three years. We'll have to beat the other nations into submission, and we haven't even begun to chip away at the Northern Water tribe. But, there is a remedy for that."

"I trust in the Fire Lord's plans." Sato claimed proudly.

Soah caught her mother's eye, silently pleading to be excused. It wasn't that she wasn't a loyal Fire Nation citizen, she was just tired of Zhao at the moment. Zinnia was unyielding, if Soah was to be married to Commander Zhao, she would have to silently swallow all he said.

"Soah, you haven't touched your tea." Sato remarked, concerned that she should drink since Zhao had poured it for her.

"It is too cold for her now." Zhao simply stated. Soah looked at him, a very childlike look of confusion. This man who barely knew her, who wanted to possess her had claimed that her tea was too cold. She had no voice at this table. "Is it too cold?" Zhao asked taking the cup away to dispose of the cold tea.

Feeling pressured by both the looks from her father and Zhao, "Yes. It has cooled very much so." Zhao poured her a new cup of steaming tea shortly after that.

Later that evening, Soah waited in the dark for the light across the courtyard to go out. She had went out into the garden for some alone time after tea and left a message for Sanzi. A Pai Sho tile with the symbol for rock –which looked like the earth kingdom symbol- on it, hopefully he would find it and understand. She waited long after Zhao's light was extinguished for the soft steps of Sanzi. He had come to her.

Soah had left her window facing the garden slightly open so he could come in, the window facing the courtyard was closed and the gossamer drapes drawn. Sanzi silently crept in.

"I received your message." He breathed, "Are you sure about this? Once we go, we can't come back."

"Yes. I can't stand Zhao for the rest of my life. I can't be a decoration or a possession."

"Is it that bad?" Sanzi gently cupped her face.

"Yeah." She took his hand. "What do we have to do in order to leave?"

"You want to leave tonight?"

"Its now or never, they announce my betrothal tomorrow…and after that, I'm as good as his."

He was about to respond when he heard a sound from the courtyard.

"Wha.."

"Shh." Sanzi led her to her bed. "Pretend to sleep." Soah nodded and curled up under her blankets while Sanzi slunk to the shadows. They both saw the two soldiers patrol near the windows, another figure behind the two glanced in through the garden facing window. Zhao. Soah saw him gently shut the window and leave. When she was sure that he was gone, she went to the window and drew the drape closed and walked back to her bed.

"Sanzi, did you see him?" Soah whispered.

"Yeah…I saw."

"How are we getting out?" Soah breathed. A moment of silence, "Sanzi, I feel trapped…"

"I'll get you out of here Soah. Just calm down, you can't take anything with you…if we're caught, I don't want you to be in too much trouble. It has to look like I'm taking you." She heard Sanzi sigh.

"You're not taking me, you're going to be saving me. Just…let me change into a night robe. It's better than a sleeping robe." Sanzi knew night robes were for after dinner relaxation. He nodded and fetched it from the closet for her, when he got it, he laid it across the foot of her bed and went to cup her face. Soah started to cry a little, she didn't want to marry Zhao.

"Its okay, I got you." Sanzi brought her into a warm embrace and held her.

"Do you really?"

Soah's eyes went wide at the sound of Zhao's voice. A few servants rushed in and began to light lanterns. Sanzi put himself between Zhao and Soah, as she pulled a blanket over her sleeping robe. "Yeah, I do." Sanzi said bravely.

"Soah, if you were in danger, you should have called the servants." Zhao said smugly.

"Sanzi." Whispered Soah, she knew Zhao would destroy him.

Sanzi took his cue from Soah and darted to the window facing the garden, he swung it open and jumped out.

"After him!" The two soldiers who passed the windows earlier came from the courtyard and chased Sanzi. The servants had already rushed to Soah to see if she was alright. To them, it looked like that Sanzi boy was trying to kidnap her. Zhao had staged it right, Sanzi would not be welcome anywhere. Sato and Zinnia had been made aware of the commotion and soon appeared.

"It was a good thing you have Soah's safety in mind Commander. I never trusted that Sanzi boy, it was the way he looked at her that always unsettled me." Sato said.

Zinnia helped Soah into the night robe that was lying at the foot of her bed. "How on earth did you catch him?" Zinnia added.

Zhao smiled, "I noticed that Soah's window was open in the night and came to investigate when I heard his voice saying that they were leaving." Sato nodded and began to profusely thanking Zhao for saving their daughter from being ruined. Soah dried her tears and looked at Zhao's smug face. He implied that he would do something to Sanzi, and now he had reason to do so, and nobody would stop him.

"Soah, you should thank Zhao." Sato admonished Soah.

"No need, I'm sure she is grateful." Zhao patted her head and left the room.

Soah had been moved to another part of the house, closer to Zhao's room. "To keep her safe" Sato explained. The search was still going on for Sanzi, Zhao had personally seen that guards patrolled the compound. Soah was trapped.

Her birthday passed without joy, the crowd that was invited cheered when her father announced her betrothal to Commander Zhao. The two stood together, she barely out of her teens, he almost twenty years her senior.

As had become ritual, Zhao and Soah had private tea before he left. They were now engaged, the taboo of being alone lessened, not as many servants keep an eye on the two.

Sato had used his wealth and influence to acquire White Dragon Tea from the deepest parts of the Earth Kingdom. He instructed Soah to serve this tea to Zhao in honor of their engagement, and so she did.

Zhao certainly noticed, he wasn't a tea sort of person, but he knew its rarity.

"I made a good choice with you Soah." Zhao remarked. Soah merely nodded and agreed. She was almost heartbroken by Sanzi's forced disappearance. "I'll be gone a year exactly. Then we will marry…maybe even before then." Zhao was baiting her, for what reasons, Soah did not know. She merely nodded and made an effort to be agreeable. "Maybe when your would be…kidnapper is captured…" Soah noticed his wording, he knew of their plan. She knew how he had now, the two soldiers who patrolled with Zhao were left by him to watch her. And prior to their engagement, Zhao had also sent guards to the compound to guard allegedly guard her father, a favorite of the fire lord. That was how he found out she could fire bend and that Sanzi was her tutor. Somehow she even knew he had been watching her in the gardens as she planted the pai sho tile. "Maybe I can bring him to justice. I take it very personally that he tried to take something that is mine." Soah stiffened at "something that is mine." But she kept her cool mainly because of her grief. She noticed his cup was empty, so she went about refilling it.

Later before Zhao left, he left her the pai sho tile with the rock symbol on it. A part of her desperately hoped it was a replica, pai sho was a universal game, there were many more rock tiles than the one she had possessed. But there was no way of knowing. Perhaps Zhao had just wanted her to feel grief, if that was the case, it certainly had worked.


	2. Chapter 2

Days seemed longer to Soah now without the occasional company of Sanzi, not just as a fire bending teacher, but as a companion. She almost eagerly listened to any news of him, from her mother's friends, her father's dinner table speeches to the gossiping of the servants. Nothing about his well being had been mentioned, only that he was on the run. On the run was better than nothing though, it meant that he was still alive…even if just barely. Most of the nobility thought that he had tried to kidnap her. Only she, Sanzi and Zhao knew the truth.

Zhao, even his name tasted bad sometimes, and to this bad man with the nasty name she was betrothed to. It was the second most pressing thing on her mind, and it seemingly had no escape. Her father was implacable on the subject and her mother followed suit despite her earlier objections. 'Better a bad mad for a husband than none at all." Was what the servants said to each other.

Servants seemed to have a knack for knowing everything, Soah noticed. So when she heard that her father had ordered a match maker to the house, her hopes of possibly escaping her engagement rose a tiny bit.

She came the next day, and Soah was summoned to one of the many guest parlors for tea. This parlor lacked to spacious room that she and Zhao had tea in, it was one of the smaller ones, heavy dark curtains hung from the ceiling to the floor, and the room was luxurious, but small and dark. The match maker was an old sort of woman, her face like tree bark, beside her sat a young assistant of sorts. "Is this the girl?" She asked Zinnia. Soah saw that she had a mass of different rings on her gnarled fingers as she pointed at her. Zinnia nodded and the old match maker rose and went towards Soah. Quite frankly, Soah thought the match maker was scary, but she stood her ground and looked her dead in the face as she approached. "She may have a bad temperament." The match maker said to her assistant. The assistant herself shook her head a little and asked Zinnia to draw the curtains and close the doors, Zinnia in turn motioned to the few servants in the room to do so. A small cushion was produced and sat in the remaining lantern light. Zinnia approached Soah and began to unfasten the sash she was wearing and her belt. The jade pendant and braid that Zhao had sent her was next. (Soah only wore this at her father's request.) What Soah had deemed 'the waist skirt' was next to come off.

Soah looked perplexedly at her mother. "Its just part of the whole thing daughter. Just be calm." Zinnia had been in Soah's shoes years before, when she was betrothed to Sato. She lead her daughter to the cushion on the floor and helped her somewhat recline. The match maker's assistant apologized sheepishly and pealed back Soah's under robe and began fumbling around between her thighs. Soah squeezed her eyes shut.

"Is she intact?" The matchmaker asked.

"Yes." The assistant mumbled after a few more moments. Zinnia nodded and helped Soah dress again. After that, the match maker asked questions about Soah's zodiac sign to determine fertility, the potential happiness in her marriage. It began to don on Soah that there was no formal way to escape her betrothal, the match maker was pleased with the information and prospect. The only shortcoming Soah seemed to have was that she was lacking enough of a final element to bear children. The match maker explained that in order to bear a child, a woman must be lacking in one element, Soah lacked water and wood, too unbalanced to even think about conceiving. Naturally, this information reached Sato, where he shamefully wrote to Zhao to inform him of the news.

"Do not worry too much about that small detail, I'm sure it isn't anything that can't be fixed in time." This particular line from a reply letter made its way through the servants and back to Soah's ears. She could imagine Zhao's smug face as he wrote it.

* * *

The thing about traveling at night, was that you never knew what you would run into, or what would run into you. Having a small contingent of soldiers after you definitely made it more difficult as well. Sanzi had been on the run for two or three weeks, he couldn't keep track of time exactly. All he knew was that his stomach was aching and that he was in terrible pain. Aside from that, he had also managed to get as far as Piandao's castle. And that was when he had passed out beneath a tree.

He woke up in a Spartan sort of room with a disgruntled old man changing a bandage on his stomach. He tried to ask what was wrong with him, but his throat was dry.

"My name is Fat. You are in the residence of Master Piandao, and we had to remove your appendix. You have a small fever…but you should be okay." He folded a small cloth and placed it on Sanzi's forehead. It felt cool and pleasant against his skin. "He will be in shortly, so drink this." He handed him a small cup of tea, and Sanzi drank it.

"My appendix?" Sanzi asked, trying to sit up unsuccessfully.

"I wouldn't try moving around or doing anything for awhile. Your wound is still somewhat fresh."

"How long have I been out?"

"A week. You've been in and out, the doctor thought you might not make it."

A figure came into the room, Fat bowed before leaving.

"I see you are awake."

"Yes, thank you for…your hospitality, but.."

"But nothing. You are in no condition to travel…and the Fire Nation soldiers sent to look for you are still in the area, you will not get far in this state."

"You know who I am?" Sanzi felt fear, he did not want to get caught by Zhao. Getting caught by Zhao would mean death, or worse. He did not want to contemplate what could be worse.

"Yes. You've made some powerful people mad. But don't worry, if I was going to turn you in, I would have done so by now. And don't worry, I intend to put you to some work to earn your keep as soon as you are healed more."

The two sat there for a moment, an old master and a dishonored bastard.

"Can you find a way….to tell a friend of mine that I am okay?" Sanzi knew that Soah would be hurting in his absence, any sort of hope he can give her would be more than enough.

"It depends…who is it exactly?"

* * *

The servants did indeed know everything, Soah decided this after hearing that a contingent of Fire Nation soldiers had found and killed Sanzi a week or so ago. Zinnia left her a wide berth, she too had heard from the servant's gossip. That day, Soah stayed in her chambers, throughout the day, her mother had kept her father from bothering her, somehow.

When dinner came around, a small group of servants brought Soah a meal, they bowed and left, but one stayed.

"Lady, is there anything I can get you?"

"A way out, maybe…" Soah mumbled. "No, there isn't." Any depressing talk like that would raise a red flag with Sato, and she would be guarded very closely after that.

"Lady, I do not know…if it is my place at this moment. But I come from Master Piandao with a message for you."

Soah looked at this servant, she wasn't much older than herself. "What sort of message…?"

"The dear friend is alive and well." Soah spun towards her, her eyes wide. "It is best not to repeat such things though." Soah nodded.

"Thank you. You may go now." The servant nodded and left to make her way back to the castle of Piandao.

After hearing about Sanzi being alive, Soah tried her best to act sad and helpless. Even her father gave up trying to comfort her. "Perhaps," he later wrote to Zhao, "a distraction from this Sanzi business may be very helpful. She remains at present, inconsolable. I am however very pleased that the threat to Soah has been removed and I am very thankful."

Zhao read the letter, he however knew that Sanzi was only presumed dead. There was a soldier to his left. "Continue the search for the renegade. Secretly." He heard a 'yes sir' and continued, "When you find him, bring him straight to me." A second 'yes sir', after that he motioned to dismiss the soldier.

He went to the desk in his tent and picked up a miniature portrait of Soah that her father had sent. 'Good man, Sato is…panders too much though. Marrying his only child, brings the perks of wealth and estates.' Zhao had both already, but it never hurt to have more, and Soah was pretty, foolish, but pretty. She could be taught given the right incentive. And then there was that boy, Sanzi. Teaching her to fire bend at night, trying to take her from under Zhao's authority. 'Dangerous boy.' Zhao thought.

Sanzi had finally escaped somehow, he didn't know how, but he would find him. And when he did find Sanzi, he wasn't going to just kill him. He was going to find the most effective way to break him, and then he would kill him with his bare hands.

He glanced at the portrait again with Soah's little face looking back at him, and sat down and began to write a reply to Sato's recent concerns.

He wrote patiently, thoughtfully. Zhao knew that good things come together when carefully planned, and his entrapment of Soah was a carefully planned thing. It wasn't a personal vendetta against Soah, she was just another thing that he wanted. And as always, with anything he wanted, he would strive to obtain.

"In regards to Soah's recent distress, perhaps it is caused by the fact that she trusted the boy and he tried to snatch her away and this is what disturbs her. In any event, I do believe you may be correct. The Fire Lord himself has granted me a short leave, I will visit her and see that she is restored to all manners of happiness

Once the letter had reached Sato's hands, the servants naturally found out about Zhao's next impending visit, this information reached Soah through the grapevine of information the servants provided.

As for Soah's happiness, one pressing matter on her mind had been solved. Sanzi was safe and out of Zhao's hands, or at least she dared to hope and put her trust on the word of a servant. Zhao could come have tea all he wanted, Sanzi was safe from him. 'For now anyway.' She was still elated about Sanzi's safety, she had almost forgotten about Zhao. Who would be coming at anytime. Her heart dropped to her stomach and she tried to compose herself. She knew that Sanzi was alive, if she gave anything away that would give him the slightest clue…she would never forgive herself. And Zhao caught onto things very quickly, things that most people ignored. The light from her and Sanzi fire bending deep in the garden, the fact that she left a window open on one side of the room and not the other. 'Sometimes, the way that man puts things together is terrifying.' Soah knew that she must be sedate, somber even. But she knew her nerves would be frayed with fear until Zhao's visit was over.

Zhao did not visit until a month and a half later, it was mid fall, and Soah was sick with a sort of stomach virus. It was catching, Zinnia, who had helped with nursing Soah, had taken ill as well, as had most of the servants tending to them. Sato was truly apologetic to Zhao, who insisted that he see Soah anyway.

The doctor present though intervened, and adamantly stressed that even though Soah was recovering, she could still give Zhao the illness, and while he may be willing to take that risk, those under his command would not be able to miss him for long.

It wasn't until two days later, that Soah was mostly recovered. But she was still resigned to bed rest, doctor's orders. But it was pronounced safe for Zhao to see her.

The servants heard this, changed the sheets and opened the windows to let the sickness out. Soah, was put into a day robe and put back to bed. A servant was braiding her long, dark hair when Zhao entered the room. He motioned the servant to leave with a flip of his hand, and then the two were alone. He came and sat down behind her and picked up where the servant left off with the braid.

"How are you feeling today?" Zhao inquired, already knowing that she probably felt terrible just based on how she looked, but he wanted to hear her say it.

"I've been better." Soah replied softly. Not what exactly what Zhao was expecting, but he'd take it.

"Good." He had finished the braid, but instead of tying it off, he undid it and grabbed the nearest comb. "I take it that you listen to rumor Soah?" He asked, taking most of her hair of the base of her skull in his hand and combing through it expertly.

"Occasionally." Soah instantly regretted that answer, Zhao baited her and succeeded.

He had stopped combing and ran his fingers from the nape of her neck to the end of her hair to separate the strands for braiding. "Only occasionally?" Soah could feel the smirk beginning to form on his lips. "You have no doubt heard of what happened to your friend then."

"Dead." She decided not to waste time, giving him a direct answer would possibly be the best thing to do. She closed her eyes and rubbed them, she ended up leaning her head on her hand.

"It's a pity. But do tell me, which is worse? Knowing that you could have prevented this just by refusing him…or knowing that he has suffered because of you?" Zhao continued to braid her hair, he did not have to look at her to know that he had hit a nerve. Soah herself felt her heart sink to the pits of her stomach.

"You did this to him…" She hissed. It escaped her lips before she could think about it, she began to brace herself for a similar assault like the previous one, this man did after all, have his hands in her hair.

But all she heard from behind her was a chuckle. "I suppose I did have a hand in this too, but you have to remember," Zhao had finished the braid and gently tugged on it. "I did warn you, and you did indeed force my hand in this, and by doing so you have signed his death warrant." Soah gulped and almost began to tear up…

"I've signed his death warrant…that is an odd way to phrase that, if he is already dead Zhao…" Soah's common sense screamed at her, of all the things to do, she had to imply that the man was lying or making things up, and then top it off without giving him the honorific title of his station…but she did not care. She caught him in the act.

There was a heat coming off Zhao, Soah stood up and made her way to the window. She almost did not hear his footsteps behind her. But it was too late, he had wrapped one of his arms around both of her arms and her torso, and had one hand firmly grasping her neck from behind. Soah could fell the hand under her chin growing warmer and warmer, it was as if a hot cup of tea was being pressed against it. She could see them both mirrored in the glass of the window.

"So what, if he isn't dead yet, then he will be soon. And I'll break him and kill him with my own two hands." He growled into her ear. He sighed, and the hand on her neck lost its warmth, but remained where it was. "And when I do it…" His voice gained a malicious tone to it. "I'm going to make sure you're there, and I will make you watch." He made eye contact with her in the reflection. Instead of breaking down as Zhao expected, Soah glared back, and what happened next made Sato almost kill Soah himself.

It was a short lived rage, she had spun fire around herself to drive Zhao back. After he gotten over the initial shock of little Soah attacking him, he saw a ball of fire coming straight towards him.

He bent the fire into a circle, where it dissipated, and then he went after Soah. Fire bending had taken more out of her than she previously thought, after throwing her fireball at Zhao, she almost immediately collapsed on her knees and instantly regretted doing so. Her fight was over the moment it had started, even though they both were on their knees, Zhao had grabbed her wrists in one hand and pulled her braid at the nape of her neck, forcing Soah to look up at him.

"I will not kill you for that Soah." He started, pulling her against him. "But after I do away with your little Sanzi, after I break him and kill him…" He spoke slowly, letting each of his words sink in. "If watching him die doesn't break you, I'll find another way to do so." Soah had started out defiant, after hearing the threat on her life she was only a little scared, it was when he got to the last bit that she was truly terrified. He eyes widened and she could not think of anything to say in return. Zhao smirked and leaned to whisper in her ear. "And don't think I wouldn't enjoy doing that to you." Zhao half carried, half dragged her back to her divan and sat her there and knelt down to where he was almost eye level. "I don't mean to be so sadistic to you Soah." She looked away, still catching her breath. "But a man can't have a wife that disobeys him, or attacks him."

Soah looked at Zhao, he eyes red with traces of tears.

"My poor Soah. You really have no other option but to marry me do you? If I back out of this arrangement, your family will never forgive you." Soah could tell that he was enjoying this, but made no move to antagonize him. "And any potential suitors after that will all but disappear…they will think that since I've found fault in you, that there is something wrong. Or since this…intimate setting," he motioned around her chambers, "is hardly a secret from anybody, they would think you're damaged." Soah's breath caught in her throat, the fact that married couples actually sleep together escaped her completely, and when she applied this knowledge to her and Zhao, a look of sheer horror come upon her face. Zhao didn't miss it either, he laughed, knowing what it was for but went on to say, "I'm glad you understand the seriousness of your situation. Which is why," He stood up at this point and took Soah's hands in his, "I am willing to accept an apology from you, for your conduct." He sat down beside of her and motioned to the floor in front of him. "Whenever you are ready my dear."

Soah looked into his smug face and then down at her clenched fists. She really was in a precarious situation, if she left, her family would be shamed and Zhao would likely hunt her and kill her along with Sanzi. If Zhao left, her family would be shamed and none of them would be able to go into public again…but if Zhao stayed, and if she went through with the marriage, her mother would be safe from humiliation, she would inherit all her father's estates and wealth, Sanzi would be safer she would be safe…but her fate was in the hands of this sadistic man, and he would only stay if she said that she was sorry.

She bit her lower lip and thought of her mother. As made a movement to get onto the floor, Zhao helped her even, by holding her hands and acting as a support. She arranged herself directly before him and made a stiff bow. "I am heartily sorry for having offended you, Commander Zhao. And I will act in the future to prevent it from happening again." She bowed again, but instead of looking back up at him, she kept her head bowed and her eyes on his shoes.

After sitting there in silence for a humiliating amount of time, Zhao finally leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Cupping her cheek with his hand he asked, "Now was that so hard?" and then he smiled.

Sato nearly murdered Soah for attacking Zhao, if it were not for the unknowingly combined efforts of Zinnia and Zhao, he would have succeeded in doing so. Zinnia did her best to calm her husband down. Zhao on the other hand stayed beside Soah, who was actually frightened of her father for the first time in her life. Zhao was almost jovial, seeing Soah humbled was fast becoming one of his favorite sights. Somehow though, it was smoothed over before dinner. Sato had apologized to Zhao and mentioned to make it a point to punish Soah and extract an apology from here, Zhao said it was not necessary, as he had already seen to the punishment and that Soah had already delivered him an apology. Sato asked no questions about the punishment, and was pleased that Zhao was already exercising his future marital rights. Zinnia however was worried about Soah, she had saw the red handprint when Zhao had so badly wanted to burn Soah. But Sato kept her quieted, and Zinnia was still too weak from her own illness to do anything but obey.

The next morning, Sato had the servants wrestle Soah out of bed against the doctor's orders, only to have tea with Zhao before he left once more. The tea of the day was Jasmine, a blend hardly seen in the Fire Nation. Soah silently poured Zhao a cup and then herself one. It was still early, the sun was barely just beginning to rise. They had been regulated to a new parlor for tea. This one faced the sunrise, and instead of a lower table and cushions, this parlor had just a two-seater table and chairs, a possibly newer style of furniture.

Zhao did not say much after pulling out the chair for Soah and sitting down himself. He had decided to be gentle with Soah that morning, he was fond of her temper that could possibly match his own, and he did not want to break that spirit just yet. Curb it maybe, but not break it. He decided to actually look at Soah instead of tormenting her, there were circles under her eyes, and her skin was pale. She was really weak at the moment, but managed. There was nothing particularly beautiful about her at the moment, he could let that pass though, for now. "It seems that anytime I am here…you are ailing somehow."

Soah nodded, still sleepy, but too tired to fight anything. The two sat in silence for awhile longer. Soah watched the sun come up, Zhao watched Soah's skin begin to glow and a small fire ignite in her eyes. Some might find their betrothed watching them to be romantic, but Zhao isn't romantic, not unless it is a means to an end. His stare was almost predatory, as if he was sizing Soah up. Soah herself hadn't seen the sunrise since Sanzi and her spent all night in the gardens, she wasn't paying attention to Zhao.

"How long has it been…" She muttered, talking to nobody in particular.

"How long since when?" Zhao had answered her, she almost jumped at hearing his voice. She had lost herself in a memory of Sanzi, it had been so long since she had last saw him.

"Uhm, since we've met…" Soah sheepishly asked, unsure.

"About three months." Zhao replied dryly.

"Oh…" She seemed disappointed.

"Something on your mind, dear?" Zhao was possessive, even over Soah's mind.

"No, time just goes by fast." Soah simply said. This appeased Zhao, for the moment anyway.

"With time," He began as he refilled his cup. "Comes acceptance of things." He leveled his gaze on Soah, obviously referring to their upcoming marriage.

For the first time, Soah actually noticed that Zhao was still in his night clothes. Instead of the dainty slippers she had on her feet, he was halfway dressed in his uniform, the boots and pants were there, but the shirt wouldn't stand up to any sort of military duty at all.

She began to study him as he had studied her, taking quick glances from beneath her eye lashes as her mother said was proper. He had broad shoulders, so he was full of pride, his nose had a downward slant that reminded her of a dog with a smooshed in face almost, the downward slant probably came from the fact that he looked down on other people a lot. She stole a glance at his face, from a quick glance, one couldn't tell that he was in his late forties, or getting close to that point anyway. But if you sat there and looked at him, you could tell that Zhao was old…or getting there at least. 'If I were fifteen years older,' Soah thought carefully, 'maybe it wouldn't be so bad.' She found herself comparing Zhao's age with Sanzi's. Sanzi was twenty-one, she knew for a fact, one year older than she. Sanzi had once stood to inherit his father's estate, though being a bastard, he never would have been accepted amongst the rest of the nobility, and neither would she or her family if a match had been made with him. Zhao however, had not a single drop of noble blood in him, but was a favorite of the Fire Lord personally, and with his growing military status and influence the match seemed to make everybody happy. Well, except Soah and Sanzi of course.

Zhao had also been watching Soah, and noticed her watching him. He observed that she had a small dimple in her left cheek when she seemed to be thinking. She had stopped looking at him physically, and seemed to retreat into herself to think. Zhao had decided that his threat to break her that he made was one of momentary rage. He would curb her defiance, her temper. He knew she had both since he had seen her display both. It was something he liked in her, but not used against him. He glance at her, she was looking out the window, towards the sun. Already her skin looked healthier and the dark circles under her eyes were less prominent. 'Fire benders rise with the sun.' he mused. Suddenly, Zhao had an idea. Soah was a fire bender, a listless, distracted fire bender. She needed to spar, to vent her anger. 'Or to control it.' He thought bitterly. If he gave Soah a way to fight him, she would use it…or thank him for it. He could hire her a new teacher. He knew he couldn't do, not for a lack of skill, skill is something Zhao had plenty of. It was more of a lack of time and patience for Soah. The teacher also had to be loyal to him, not Sato and definitely not Zinnia. The idea was a double-edged sword. Give Soah something she wanted, or needed and she would either be content or learn enough to try something else. 'Either way, it is definitely something to consider.' Zhao thought. Perhaps he would discuss it with Sato before he left.

Zhao would leave shortly after tea, Sato made sure to pester Soah to give Zhao some sort of token before he left. Soah and the newly recovered Zinnia put their heads together and had the servants bring out a length of red cloth.

"Mother, what can we even do with this in less than an hour…?" Soah asked.

"Nothing. Just drape it on one of his shoulders and he'll figure out a way to wear it."

When the time came to give Zhao his token, Soah had figured out a way to do it. She placed the middle of the cloth on his right shoulder and brought it down across his chest, she did the same with the cloth hanging behind and then wrapped the ends around his waist. The addition to his uniform pleased Zhao, and he praised Soah for her act of submission. He would wear this sash over his uniform until he was promoted to Admiral two and a half years later.

Zinnia watched her daughter wrap the sash around Zhao, her father was elated. She on the other hand, well, she was torn. Women's choices were never easy, and the fates of nobles were often sealed the day they were born. Zinnia herself was once carefree and happy, until one day her mother sat down with her and told her that she was engaged to a young nobleman named Sato.

She had heard of him before, arrogant and boastful at times, but he stood to inherit his father's holdings and land, so it was only natural that Zinnia marry him instead of a young soldier in the army. Times were different, fifty years ago the war wasn't as intense, and victory was only one more day away. Soldiers, especially young, unranked ones, weren't worth all that much. But she had been obedient to her family's wishes.

Zinnia did not like Sato, she had habitually started drinking hibiscus tea to discourage pregnancy. Sato's father though called Zinnia's mother and a match maker to fix the problem. And she once more, swallowed her pride and stopped drinking the tea to fulfill her duty.

Overall, Sato and his father never knew about the tea, it was her mother that convinced her to quit. The matchmaker was also unaware. Knowing that since Zinnia possessed many golden trinkets, she therefore concluded that she possessed too much of the metal element, and was too balance to conceive a child. Zinnia has not worn any sort of metal jewelry since.

The following years were marked by numerous pregnancies that resulted in miscarriages, the matchmaker herself did not know why and consulted several zodiac charts and moon phases. Sato's father eventually died without a grandchild, and Sato blamed Zinnia for his father's sadness.

Sato was away at the Fire Lord's palace often, and Zinnia was left to her own household, one day the match maker came and they had tea.

"Lady, if I may." The match maker began, Zinnia nodded for her to continue. "The business of producing an heir should be your number one priority second only to pleasing your husband.

"The two are almost synonymous in your case." She took a drink of tea. "And if any measures you could decide to take to complete these two tasks, well. I would carry the secret to my grave, and your husband would be none the wiser." Zinnia looked at the match maker, adultery was being implied, and if she were caught, she would be no doubt killed. "I've found him, the soldier you were so fond of." The match maker continued.

It was a one time thing, Zinnia realized that she did not love either man, but she went through with it with the help on the match maker. Sato was impudent these days, being ten years her senior. But Zinnia conceived one final time, and in nine months, she bore a child she named Soah.

Zinnia never knew who the true father was, but Sato was convinced that Soah was his own, and that was all that mattered. After bringing Soah into the world, Sato gave Zinnia a holding of land and a new allowance as a reward. If there was a time when Zinnia actually loved her husband, it was long gone. It was merely convenient to stay as she was now. But as she watched her daughter squirming under Zhao's thumb, she wondered if she could have saved Soah from this marriage, and realized that her own mother possibly thought the same thing. Her mother was long dead, Zinnia could not ask her directly for guidance.

She noticed Sato's stare upon her sour face, and made attempts to smile were not successful. Sato never abused her, never ever thought to lay a hand on her. Zhao was different, Zinnia saw the fear in her daughter's eyes, saw the red hand print beneath her chin and had no doubt that Zhao caused both. As a mother, she wanted to destroy Zhao with her own two hands, but it was a noblewoman's duty to obey. And she wondered if her mother had fought with herself over her own daughter's marriage.

Zhao had kissed Soah on the forehead after she wrapped the sash around him, and then he left. Before long he found himself back at his harbor, receiving the letters from Sato about Soah's ailments, her temper, and her lack of enthusiasm. Zhao knew that the letters of complaint were just part of the arrangement, but he did wonder if he married Soah sooner what sorts of letters would come from Sato then? He did not get a chance to speak to Sato about his idea, but he determined that it would be alright to follow through with it, for the time being anyway.

In the meantime, he wrote privately to Soah that he had a surprise for her. Soah did not like the sound of a surprise from Zhao, but wrote back under her father's watchful eye that she would be delighted to receive it. Eventually, Zhao hired a private citizen to teach Soah. And she was surprised when he showed up one day and brought a letter from Zhao explaining the reasons he was there. Sato was almost outraged, but let Zhao do as he pleased.

Soah's lessons were enough to hone in on her skills, it left her content. She even wrote a letter to Zhao thanking him for the opportunity without being prodded by her father.

"She uses a mix of water bending techniques for fire bending, the results are fluid and very graceful. She is more of a dancer than a fighter, but I am teaching her the proper ways to do some of the defensive techniques, as you instructed." Zhao was overall very pleased with the outcome of his gamble.

That winter, Zinnia walked Soah through to process of selecting her household, the servants who would go with her into Zhao's house and ways to manage it. Sato would take care of a proper dowry, the things he was offering Zhao would be more than enough to satisfy him. It was determined that Soah and Zhao would be married in the late spring, the earliest time of year deemed auspicious by the matchmaker. Zhao was pushing for it to be sooner, but the complex interactions between their Zodiac signs and the seasons would not allow it. Zhao settled for that time and requested a time of leave of two weeks for his marriage and settling Soah on Ember Island.

One day, Zinnia came to Soah's chambers and sat down with her. Soah bowed in respect, soon she would not be her mother's daughter anymore, Zhao's wife. Her father encouraged her to begin distancing herself from her familiar trappings. Zinnia motioned for the one servant in the room to leave and sate down beside her daughter after making sure the door was safely shut.

"Daughter, I should have done this earlier." Zinnia looked away in shame.

"What is it mother?"

"I will do everything in my power to help you escape your betrothal." Zinnia said quietly. Soah's eyes widened, she had never thought her mother would allow it. "But we must be careful…" She urged. "Zhao and your father won't let you go without a fight." She eyed the pale spot on her daughter's neck, the last of the healing tissue. "I can never forgive myself if I allow you to marry him."

Soah looked at her mother, and for the first time in a long time, she saw a fire in her eyes.

"I've passed my own fire down to you daughter, all my spirit, my ferocity and love especially is yours." Zinnia held her daughter's hand and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "The guard Zhao has outside changes at a quarter to three in the morning, during that change, I will set the kitchens on fire. You have one clear chance, I will meet you over the compound wall and we will escape."

Zinnia's plan sounded all too familiar to Soah, but the word escape resonated in her, Sanzi had used that term and she knew where it had gotten him.

"Mother…I appreciate what you're trying to do." Soah began. "But Sanzi tried it before, and he's dead…" She used the word dead, Zinnia had no idea he was alive still. "If I leave, you will never be able to show your face again, you will be void of honor…and so will father." Soah didn't care about Sato as much as she cared about her mother. "It is my duty to go through with this."

Zinnia looked almost appalled, but she swallowed the lump in her throat and said, "Very well daughter." She let her hand drop to her stomach and she left the room.

That night, there was the promised fire of Zinnia, and she escaped the compound. A small group of Zhao's guards made their way to Soah and were surprised to see her still there, half way asleep and grumpy that they had woken her, but still safe and sound.

Sato had summoned her to tea that afternoon.

"I am proud of you Soah, the servants informed me that your mother tried to persuade you to leave with her, but your common sense prevailed." Soah poured her father's tea silently. "I was surprised by her treachery, but being with child makes women do foolish things." He mused. Soah had to stop herself from pouring her own cup least she let it overflow.

"Mother was with child?" Soah now knew why she was almost crushed when she said she could leave with her.

"I found out last week myself. But worry not about her child, I will find her and bring her back to safety." Sato took a drink. "She will be under house arrest of course, but she will be comfortable."

Soah finished pouring her own cup and sat the pot down. Sato would find her mother and then she would be confined…she did not want to think of her own punishment from Zhao had she left with her mother.

"Commander Zhao will be pleased to know of your loyalty." Sato smiled.


End file.
